One big jigsaw puzzle that is waiting for you to reveal.
It has been a long while I am so excited about a drama. Most dramas I watched flop big time after the mid mark but this drama kept me glued on from start till the last episode!Intriguing story and interesting plot. Everything and everyone is eventually linked together like a big jigsaw puzzle. And I really mean everyone, every little things and actions. It makes you curious, kept you guessing and excited for the next episode. The week has never been that long.
The characters are realistic and they play their roles well. FL is from the village, money is of importance to her, so naturally she is calculative. ML is a Justice High Officer, of course he is skeptical about everything . Our ML is well mannered and sensible despite being a high ranking noble. Such a refreshing change as I am sick of bratty, chauvinist, arrogant and rude ML. ML micro expression is really spot on. You can literary read his emotions from the look of his face. Especially when he is mad, trust me.. you can feel it that he is really MAD. But when he is happy, you can feel his face glows up with that small smile.
And most importantly, this drama has none of those annoying fillers, dam-in-dis (damsel in distress), product placements and characters that are so badly written - you wish they would disappear immediately. A true rare gem indeed.
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This review may contain spoilers
This has everything I needed
I must say that this is one of the best dramas I have ever watched. It has everything. It was funny, there was mystery, there was romance. There were no filler episodes and while I almost always skip parts when they are boring for me, I did not have to do it with this one.One thing that is unique is that everytime FL spoke about anything her work there were illustrations. What was also very good were recreations of the murders with the main characters.
Relationship between all four main characters is amazing. There is no cattiness between female leads, no backstabbing. They are actually friends and more. And the relationship between brothers is also very good, na rivalty, just brotherly love. There also are not any misunderstanding that were not solved in the same or the next episode.
The story is very well paced, I did not feel bored or rushed. Last three episodes have little faster pace but do not leave any loose ends or plotholes so you just feel excited instead of rushed.
There is so many funny moments but it is not parody like humour. There are also sad moments and I have to applause to the actors because they did incredible work.
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Loved it! What an unexpected gem!
First, at 36 episodes, having no boring or lagging bits is a miracle.
I was so impressed at how they made it so modern and accessible for young people who grew up watching CSI and House MD, and yet kept the flavor of it so traditional Chinese. The perfect balance between comedy and seriousness was kept as well.
It's the sort of drama that has you falling in love with the main characters but also with the supporting cast and even the bad guys. They are all so well-rounded with strengths and weaknesses. Chu Chu and the prince were so refreshing as leads: you don't often see badass nerds as the heroes of a show.
And I loved the soundtrack, again with the balance of modern and traditional.
The thing that struck me the most though, was reading that this drama is considered low budget. How could that be, when it felt so opulent with all the lovely costumes and horses???
Recommended to anyone who loved the Korean classic Jewel In The Palace and its message of a strong and highly professional woman, even in the old times.
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Intelligent Detective Story
I can't convey how much I love this show. It was a random show I found on YouTube and was hooked immediately because of the storyline, the dialogue, and the adorable young actors. I know they're green and need more experience to become better, but it didn't distract from the story. I appreciated that all the characters (good and bad) were smart, and made decisions that made sense to their position and character. I would have given it a 10 if not for the rushed ending. Like, WTH just happened? Bad editing made it so choppy. I wished we would have gotten a more complete ending. I heard their special episode left much to be desired so I will eventually watch it when it is subbed. PLEASE PLEASE have more seasons so that we can continue to follow this dynamic group of investigators.Was this review helpful to you?
The Imperial Crime Scene Investigators (CSI)
Just finished this drama and I loved it. I did not expect much when I started but it has great story-line, intense actions, interesting plots and clever dialogues, re-caps of previous episodes in the beginning of new episodes, strong friendships and bromances, subtle yet sweet romances, no boring fillers or stupid misunderstandings, no jealous bitches but supportive female leads, etc.. Kudos to great direction, writing, casts and production. Even the cinematography was good. I was never bored at all watching it, did not fast forward or skip any scenes. I even binged watched this in 2 days!! This is one of my favourite C-dramas now.I would have given 10/10, but I deducted 0.5 points for the really rushed ending. Maybe another 1 - 2 episodes to nicely wrap this lovely drama. I would have loved to see the full wedding and later married life of Prince An and Chu chu; I would like to see if the SML and SFL finally got married. Also, I need more drama to show the events that lead to the Emperor granting Chu Chu the Imperial Coroner certificate again. Maybe there will be Season 2. Let's hope so.
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Must Watch Historical Detective Drama of This Year
The Imperial Coroner is a historical detective Chinese drama of this year. With a clever storyline composed of intellectual characters, it is a work completely worth enjoying. It is about the story of a commandery prince (the male lead), and a dreamer of becoming a coroner officially (the female lead) who cross each other’s paths and solved mysteries about crimes happening within the capital (the setting of the story which is set during the Tang dynasty). With regards to its plot, it is very simple but looking through its overall content it reveals how wise it was written.These are some certain points why this drama deserves a try from my point of perspective.
First, the production. Expecting too much from an apparently identified low budget production may bring disappointment but this one is an exception. It is without doubt that the costumes are not that absolutely pleasing to eyes however this flaw was covered when the cinematography from different angles provides a very distinct view which totally matches the temperament of drama. The editing also hints how much effort was exerted by the people behind it. In a dramaland, most dramas usually focus on the actions of the actors in the scenes or objects which may have an important function to that specific scenario, but this drama flashes a graphic illustration which entails reliable information as the character is investigating thoroughly to the origin of the case. Also, the aspect in which how the drama was arranged is different leaving us, the viewers, without any unsolicited spoilers. I’m referring to the opening and ending of the drama. Almost all of the dramas in cdramaland have opening and ending songs with some cut scenes appearing on it but this drama have the prologue instead explaining a few details of the previous episode/s which will also be the highlight of the characters’ journey on this current episode. Hence, it is drama stuffed with numerous ideas about imagery as its major weapon.
Moreover, a simple drama with interesting characters. I love it how the portrayal of the characters was all concentrated to who they are until the end with no unnecessary dynamism. I’ve seen dramas with characters that changes on the halfway and it did not end well. I mean it is fine if that character was a part of the antagonist side and transforms into a good person but if it is the other way around, I’m already fed up with that concept which only generates nothing but anxiety. All of the actors in the team are new to me yet they are all excellent in delivering their roles. Only that there are minor imperfections in some of the developments such as the “innocent” at first personality of Chu Chu which is played by Su Xiaotong (the female lead) and later it was revealed that she is “smart and crafty”. Thankful I remained until the last episode and witness her capabilities in accomplishing the description of the role. Wang Zi Qi who portrays Xiao JinYu or Prince An (the male lead) has this charm that would easily pull you into observing him and his way of acting. He is an actor with potential talents as what this drama unfolds. Only that, on the last episodes, his depiction of being a keen and sharp judge somewhat has dropped. Well, I quite understand the situation he is experiencing, at those moments, everyone is at stake so he can’t rush and make a decision to capture the principal criminal when the safety must be considered in the beginning (nevertheless, well you need to check the last episode to see what they have planned). On the other hand, the co-starring roles such as Zhao Yao Ke, Yang Ting Dong, and Wang Yan Bin displayed utmost skills to justify their roles forming a companionship which is meaningful and helpful to the two main leads (very plain manifestation of camaraderie yet with deep roots and free of toxicity).
The well-built series of events were made up coherently allowing the story to unfold step by step. Every cases handled by the leads and other characters involved has a clear and expounded explanation. The comprehensibility is also visible. The story does not only put emphasis on the answers needed to solve the case but also the assertions behind those solutions. The concept of the faction of the powerful eunuchs in the court is also an unusual outline. There are Chinese historical dramas in which the eunuchs have some influence on the palace but not extremely comparable to this one wherein the head of the eunuch which is the antagonist of this story was a leader of an army and even higher than some officials. Other notion regarding about it can be discover when you watch the drama and also the particular characters that have significant impacts to the plot. Although the ending is a little bit condensed for me, they could just have added one last episode (for the leads and supporting characters to have more time) but we seldom have a drama in cdramaland with 37 episodes, so yeah I’m still satisfied with that.
Thus, you have to watch this drama or you will be missing it. I’m favorably recommending it to those who are into historical dramas especially the crime detective genre. It is not perfect but you will truly be entertained just like what I have experienced. Also, the osts and bgm too are beautiful for the ears.
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The Dark Horse in 2021
After I finished this drama, I immediately open my computer and excited to write a review in this wonderful, captivating and enticing drama of 2021.This drama clearly shows that the storyline, script, and meticulous director can overcome the low budget in order to produce a high-quality drama. I heard that the drafting of the script took 3 years of revision and exchanging of ideas for the writers and director. And I must say, I as a viewer was very thankful because I really enjoyed every minute of this drama. I will rant if they will not get at least one award this year.
This is so fun to watch for a crime investigation drama. I cannot remember how many times I laugh while maintaining the core of the story.
Why I love this so much?
1. Storyline
It's like Nirvana In Fire Again. You cannot skip an episode because every case, people involved and every little detail was very important in order to finally uproot the cause of the disturbances in the Tang Dynasty. It was meticulously crafted and I never get bored watching it. It's a fast pacing story, you don't need to wait tens of episodes just to solve one problem.
2. No Dumb leads/Characters
Yes! You heard it right. Prince An who is in charge of the criminal lawsuit and Chu Chu as an aspiring Coroner were both skilled in their job. They listened to each other's opinions and solved the cases based on the gathered evidence together with the other supporting characters like sly Jing Yi, loyal, overprotective brother and a great love adviser Jing Li and beautiful and strong Leng Yue. Every characters contributed in order to finish the job. love love all the characters. Even the villain was very entertaining especially the Eunuchs.
3. A cute and wholesome love story
If you hesitated to watch this just because romance is not the center of the story, please try this one. I love so much how they show their feelings and create a strong bond for their love. This is very rare in the drama land. No crappy misunderstanding. When they have doubts and insecurities they discussed and solved them like normal lovers. Every romantic scene here, I'm squealing and laughing because they are so cute. Those simple moments of teasing and encouraging each other were enough to feel that they really love each other.
4. Visualizing how they solve the cases
I must say, it's a genius to use those visual aids to show how the coroner investigates or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead. It was easy for the viewers to understand it especially for the terms and techniques that they used in investigating the dead bodies..
Overall. I think it's the best drama that I watched this 2021. Sorry The Long Ballad :( .. It will not give you a WOW factor like in every high-budget drama. I describe it as an easy watch. You don't need to be so stressed or wrack your brains out just to understand what is happening, instead, it gave a very calm feeling while watching it.
I wanted to give this a 9.5 because it was too short. It can be stretch until 40 episodes especially in the last episode. They can create more impactful finale if they have 4 episodes more, but I forgave it because the actors were so amazing esp Prince An. I can feel his anger, frustration, happiness while maintaining his dignity as Prince.
Overall it's an A+ drama for me.. Do not hesitate to watch. Even if you are not a fan of this kind of genre, you will love it I'm sure. :)
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Action, intrigue and so much more.. Another must C-drama for 2021 doesn't disappoint
This is an amazing drama and kudos goes to the Cast A+++, crew, set design, clothes and the storyline must have been fun sitting around the table discussing it. Another great C-drama for 2021. The chemistry between ML/FL is so on point the FL girl chu chu is so cute, smart, and funny in the innocent way. The ML Prince An(Xiao jinyu) has this stern confident look and is very smart and able to solve crimes. Then chu chu enters his life as a coroner for the better and as the two work side by side and solve crime of murder a romance slowly begins. Then we have the 2nd ML Lord Jing Yi who cute, smart and quit amusing thur out the drama. He is lifetime friends with Prince An, Xiao jin li and Leng Yue(they like each other) The 2nd FL is the granddaughter of Military commissioner of Qianzhou Leng Pei shan and travels around as doesn't talk to GF since childhood. Then we have prince an twin brother Xiao jinli who is a commander of war and always willing to help.So i binged this drama over 3 days and still wanted more as i was sad not to see this cast. The storyline was like a rollercoaster of whos good whos bad and kept your attention at all time. It had alot of murder, rebellion past and present and officials against the Eunuchs. There is always a hateful villain this time Eunuch Qin luan who worked for Emperor Xuanzong and was in control of the Shense army with General Zhou. Since he also worked for the past 2 emperor he built alot of control within the court, officials and military personnel and wanted to get rid of those who opposed. He was given a edict from Emperor Wenzong to bring the army and help Prince consort Xiao heng and military commissioners Chen ling to fight the rebals. When he arrives he announces the edicts stating that Xiaoheng and Chenling are rebelling and to kill everyone including families. Chenling pushes Xiaoheng to gets away and prove there innocents, but is stabbed in the leg and falls off a cliff and presumed dead by all. They start killing all family members including Vice General Yun yi(worked for chenling)but his pregnant wife escapes to her brothers Xu Zhongfan house for help, but instead his butler Han kills her. They call in the coroner Chu ping and state she committed suicide so he brings the dead body back and realizes she pregnant and delivers a baby girl. He discusses with his father and son and they agree to hide and raise her as there own Chu Chu in a coroner family. Around the time she was 8-10yo she meets the witch doctors who tells her stories about a good looking? person who guards the six gates. He tells her how he solved hard crimes/murders and then gives her a black rock pendant to keep and tells her to keep him a secret and only tells the good looking? She grown up and wants to apply for the coroner position in the capital Chang'an. Upon entering the capital she meets Lord Jing Yi while solving a scam artist fake an injury and while impressed he gives her his token to take the test(he knows they would deny a female). She takes all the test where prince an is watching as he listen to her answers they sound like his father. So now he has to figure out who she really is and why she knew this info. She trys to explain that back home in Qianzhou the witch doctor told her and she shows him the book after a while with the pendant. Now there adventure takes them to solve many crimes, murder and even attempts on their lives as they slowly open pandora box on the past rebellion. I am amazed while watching this drama and how it has so many side stories and people's that makes it such a mystery straight thru to the end who is good and whos bad. I was writing a small ledger in order to keep track.
A must see. A+++ 10++++
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An Intelligent, Captivating, Direct and Smooth Sailing Drama~!!
I'm full of Adjective and Praises. But let me use those 4 as my main subject to elaborate and discuss how spectacular this production is.Honorable Mention!! I specifically love the little black and white imaginary space Chu Chu and Jinyu's creating whenever they're to re-enact and solve the case. Most of the time it provides the most skinship and romantic interaction from the both of them. Love it so much. <3
Intelligent - This show just kept on showing and shoving things right into your face. The cases and mysteries that are being handled were all complex and tricky but that didn't stop them from presenting us with such high accuracy explanation but also kept ME, personally, in awe at how splendid and well-constructive they were. A true Masterpiece!!
Captivating - The main leads and their chracters visuals might have been the expected icon when I mentioned the word 'Captivating' but that's not just that; The real reason why I love this drama so much is how the Characters behave and display their characteristics in a clever yet silly, sassy and entertaining way. I'm glad that they all have their own distinctive roles to show and they all nailed it. Wanna give credits to all the actors and actresses for doing a magnificent job. <3
Direct - Most of the dramas are flooded with bunch of plots and twist before going into the main hurdle just to show the heaviness and complexity of the final disaster the Protagonists have to went through; yet this drama chose the completely same plot but made it more direct and straightforward. They focused on 1 definitive subject then provided clues that will eventually gathered all the other hidden tricks and flaws and finally ended it with a Marvelous series of mind-blowing strategies and scheme to finally finish the main antagonist.
Smooth Sailing - Honestly, this is base on how I was shock to know that I'm passed the 3/4 of the drama even before I realized it. It completely caught me off guard on how smooth yet entertaining the whole drama is. Not even once this drama made me felt bored or tired of watching it. It always offers new, unique and interesting set of topics to watch and never failed in making them great. Hahaha~ This sound so biased but I'm just really in awe on how well-made and produced this drama is.
Story - 10, Story is a cut from the most excellent script there is and it never failed to showcase how good it is. I wanna commend the writer, producer and everyone who worked behind the camera to make this drama as great as it is right now.
Acting/Cast - 10, They portrayed their characters the best and even owned all of them. I enjoyed it so much thanks to their neat and clever execution of their scenes. I got nothing to say but words of love, adoration and praises.
Music - 10, Honestly, Music and BGM is the least focus of this drama but i'm quite satisified on how they didn't overly rely on BGMs and Music to set the mood. I also love the mysteric and quite thrilling opening instrumental of the drama. It reminded me a lot of those times I was watching The Lost Tomb Series and I just love it a lot.
Rewatch Value - 10, I would watch it again for sure. No words and flowery words needed. This drama will remain special and memorable on its own. I highly recommend this drama to everyone regardless of the genres they like.
Overall - 10, Perfection and Impressive. I honestly got no comaplaints and was extremely satisfied on how things went through. It was an easy drama to watch that will surely satisify anyone without any doubt.
IF you find my review helpful please let me know.
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Amazing
I rarely write reviews. I know my tastes are weird and I don't want to influence other people in the wrong way, I dropped a lot of shows and so when I encounter such a good product as this one, well, it's definitely worth it to write few lines. The love story is there, it's romantic and pure, but it's not the core and there are not a lot of kisses, hugs and fluff. Neverthless, it's genuine and refreshing.A very intricated story with awesome actors, good chemistry among everyone and no stupid misunderstandings.
Evil characters are as smart as the protagonists, so every scene keeps you engaged and makes you curious. Never too cliche, nor "extravagant" in a weird way, but very original.
The FL, for once, is not completely naive, nor brainless: she is shy and delicate, but she knows how to be strong and she can be relied on.
The ML is super smart, not too stuck-up, and even if he can be aloof and cold, he shows he can also be warm and caring without being overprotective, possessive and kind of a stalker. Much appreciated!
Secondary couple very funny and they don't take up too much of the storyline. Maybe this aspect could have been developed a little bit more, but since I'm not a fan of multiple couples, this was not a problem for me.
Nice ost and I don't usually like to watch the same thing twice, but who knows?
I really recommend it!
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Refreshing storyline
Being a fan of CSI TV show, I decided to give this drama a try, and what a gem of a drama this was!The narrative story is refreshing, running similar to CSI but an Asian version in ancient times!
The crime details and reenactment were carefully studied and scripted. The acting of the cast are also pretty good.
I hope the contents and pace keeps up till the end. Hopefully it doesn't suffer like most dramas where airtime fillers (non related to the story) occupy the mid section.
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Smart Storyline makes this rookie drama a compelling watch
This is a fun to watch Detective drama with multiple story arcs unfolding across the episodes to eventually reveal the key big plot. The lead and supporting cast are fairly young and unheard of, so what really drew me this drama was not the celebrity cast or famous director, but rather it's remarkably clever plot.Summary- The story takes place in Chang An, the capital city, during the time of the Tang Dynasty, under Emperor Xuan Zhong. The Female lead character, Chu Chu, comes from a humble family of coroners that handle coroner matters in their small county. As a young lass, Chu Chu aspires to a competent Coroner, just like her Father and brother. She travels to Chang An to try to take the Imperial Exam to qualify as one but along the way and bumps into her reserved but erudite Supervisor, Xiao Jin Yu, a young but brilliant scholar who heads the entire Judicial System. As Chu Chu tries to impress her Supervisor in order to get qualified to practise as a certified Coroner, she gets roped in by Xiao Jin Yu, who borrows her coroner skills and abilities to help him solve some crime cases- various people are being "accidentally" murdered across the city and the timing of their deaths and their occupational identities seem too suspicious for their deaths to be certified as "accidental". Together with a supporting team of Xiao Jin Yu's brother Xiao Jin Li and loyal sidekicks Vice Minister Jing Yi and Martial Artist Leng Yue, the young energetic team crack their brains and support one another to piece multiple clues to uncover an underlying sinister political agenda, which inadvertently expose hidden secrets about Chu Chu and Xiao Jin Yu's births and their blood families.
2 of my favourite things about the drama, besides the clever storyline was the Female and Male Lead character's working partnership and romance.
The Working Partnership- There is little that "Alpha Male versus weak Damsel in distress" trope here. The Script-writers have in fact written the lead characters to be synergistically complementary to one another as Chu Chu's extroverted chirpy optimistic personality makes a nice pairing to Xiao Jin Yu's introverted reserved and aloof character, that has extraordinary ability to string together multiple clues to solve complex mysteries. Chu Chu respects Xiao Jin Yu enough to be serious about her work even when her boss is not looking. Xiao Jin Yu is also eager ask Chu Chu's for her opinions when he is busy analysing the details of a case matter. This is a guy who respects a smart woman regardless of how lowly they were viewed back then in society! Xiao Jin Yu is radically progressive and ahead of his time. Lol. Despite their outwardly different personalities, it is not hard to see why both Chu Chu and Xiao Jin Yu can actually work so well together. Both of them are intensely curious and observant individuals who are just passionate and persistent about finding the truth of the matter. Their kind of working partnership transcends across the gender divide and class differences, is truly admirable and praiseworthy.
The Romance- Although Chu Chu and Xiao Jin Yu's do intentionally get their initial "awkward" start, I found their romance particularly endearing because it was beautiful to see how Jin Yu's initial skepticism about Chu Chu's mysterious background gradually erode over time, as his admiration for her passion and meticulosity when it comes to her work eventually wins over his trust, respect and affections. We see how Jin Yu becomes more empathic and grounded the more he hangs around simple but kind-hearted Chu Chu while Chu Chu matures in her abilities as she learns from Jin Yu's ability to stay cool-headed while they uncover uncomfortable revelations in their search for the truth. There is progression in both their characters and affections as they experience multiple trials and setbacks together. All in, I found Chu Chu and Xiao Jin Yu's love story a good balance of heart-fluttering and heart-warming moments.
The ending of this story is a happy one, won't give away all the details here. So this is a feel-good drama you can watch if you want intellectual stimulation, comedy, zero-boredom suspense, cute romance all rolled into one!
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